


When Everyone You Know is Gone, What Will You Do?

by yeehaw7



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen, M/M, Post-Canon, i can never write good fics it's always sad, i started this fic in june of 2018 so it's an oldie, like very post canon as in sam is dead that's how long it's been, remains to be seen whether it will be a goodie, spoilers but hearth is also dead, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 02:57:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20987690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeehaw7/pseuds/yeehaw7
Summary: Magnus Chase hasn't been to Boston in a while. He no longer belongs there. The world has moved on without him, changing faster than he can keep up - that's the bane of being immortal.Blitz has stayed in Boston ever since he arrived there. He's old now.Older than Magnus is used to.





	1. Magnus

**Author's Note:**

> this was meant to be my first fic on here lmao i began it so long ago and because of that i feel like it isn't great quality like i've rewritten it and shit but still idk 
> 
> also i feel like i've really overdone it as in too many words in one sentence but maybe that's just the mood of it i really have no clue what i'm doing lmao 
> 
> chapter one of two, second one will be up the day (or not long after, i'm travelling so depends) after i post this

It’s always hard to go back to a place that you thought you knew. 

Magnus Chase was back in Boston for the first time in a while. He’d been meaning to visit, but time, as always, had slipped between his fingers and here he was, twenty years late, staring at a street that he once knew. 

The Chase Space, amazingly, was still up and running, although it no longer belonged to Annabeth, having been in the ground for many years. Around ten years after it had opened, Blitz and Hearth had persuaded the einherjar to keep their distance from the establishment, the kids beginning to question their seemingly eternal youth. It broke Magnus’ heart, but he stayed away. 

Boston, it seemed, had moved on and was evolving - without him. 

Sure, he was around often enough that most things were vaguely recognisable, but the fact they were only vaguely recognisable showed that he wasn’t around as often as he wished to be. The truth was, he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) let go of the image in his mind of old Boston - the Boston where he had been born, where he went to school, where he became homeless and where he made some of the best friends in the whole of the nine worlds. Boston held his living memories - times from when he was alive, because although he was by most of the definition, alive, he was sure he had seen his body cold and breathless in a casket, and he was doubly sure he’d died from a knife in the back just yesterday afternoon. 

Despite all his memories and despite knowing on some level, he belonged here, Magnus felt as though he was a time traveller. Midgard, no doubt, was his place, but slowly and surely, it was becoming a stranger’s world. The fact that he’d never be able to fit in anywhere else other than Hotel Valhalla sat like a rock in his stomach - an even more heavy, devastating thought came to him; soon, he’d have no friends outside of Floor 19. 

Blitzen was coming to the end of his life. For a dwarf, he’d fallen just short of a regular life-span, but in human terms, he was ancient. If he was being honest, the only reason why Magnus was coming to Boston this time was to check on him, cross his fingers, and hope he wouldn’t die for a few more years. Blitz was his last link into Midgard - Sam having retired from Odin’s service and the Valkyries a couple years after marrying Amir and dying a good seventy years later - and part of him dreaded the day where he would go into his old home world and find nothing familiar. The other part scolded him, reminding him that he loved Blitz for who he was and what he’d done, not because he was an excuse to visit a world that frankly, he no longer belonged in. 

Blitzen’s Best was - miraculously - still standing, although it was no longer in business. The empty building had been put up for sale time and time again, but something always seemed to go wrong with the legal work or the buyer would mysteriously, suddenly lose interest. The Floor 19 crew had a few theories, the most prominent being that the runes of protection Hearth had put in places years ago might still be working in their own strange way, protecting Blitzen’s life-long dream just as Hearth would do if he were there. Exactly how, they were unsure, as Hearth wasn’t around anymore, having been killed in battle some years ago. For reasons unknown, he hadn’t been taken to Valhalla - perhaps runestones didn’t officially count as a weapon? Maybe he refused to go, thinking himself unworthy. _That_ seemed likely, given his level of self-esteem and the manner in which he died. Perhaps, simply, elves weren’t eligible for Valhalla. Being creatures of air and light, elves seemed to be closer to the more nature-based Vanir rather than the war-based Aesir.

No matter how, the fact of the matter was that Hearth was dead and gone, leaving Blitzen to be the only living member of the original Empty Cup Family. Being the last one, he felt no obligation to continue on as before, and had retired to the apartment he’d built on the top of the back room of Blitzen’s Best. There’d been offers from everyone from Magnus to Alex to Odin for him to come live in Valhalla, but he’d declined, preferring to stay in a spot where he could observe the comings and goings of the Chase Space without too much bother. 

Cut to the present - Magnus, still turning over the what-ifs and could-haves in his mind, made his way to the front door of the building, winding his way up the long staircase and coming to the second, inner, door. How Blitzen managed to get up and down without an elevator still confused him, considering the old dwarf was struggling to get around in his apartment itself the last time he visited. 

Eventually, he mustered up the courage to knock. There was silence. He rang the bell, and heard a familiar voice call: “It’s open!”

Cautiously, he turned the handle, knowing that in his later years Blitz had become less and less empathetic towards the einherjar, incorrectly interpreting their ability to die and come back to life easily as part and parcel of a higher pain threshold. This time, thankfully, it seemed there was no danger in the form of displaced metal ducks, and he gently shut the door behind him, heading towards the sound of the voice. 

He knew Blitz would look different, after all, a lot could’ve changed in twenty years, but as he came through the doorway and caught a glimpse of Blitzen, sitting in his big armchair, he couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. 

The sight of an old Blitzen, his black hair now completely grey, eyes masked by round glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, was like an electric shock to his system. The dwarf who once drew the best designs in the whole nine worlds, unable to draw a straight line, his hand shaking as he struggled to write notes in the margin of his notebook. 

Magnus leant against the doorway, pressing the hard wood firmly against his spine to keep him steady. “Hey,” he said. “How’re you doing?” 

“Alright,” Blitz replied, his glasses sliding down his nose slightly as he raised his head. He took them off and placed them on the table beside him. “It’s good to see you again.”

Magnus nodded. “It’s been a while.” 

Blitz showed a hint of a smile, before pulling himself to his feet. “C’mon then, I wanna show you this before you go.”

Magnus chuckled nervously. “Blitz, I just got here.”

Blitzen turned to face him, a slight twinkle in his eye. “You won’t be for long. Don’t pretend I don’t know you, kid.”

Magnus let a sheepish smile cross his face and followed the slowly moving dwarf, almost crashing into his back a couple metres on when he stopped at an inconspicuous door. 

Over the years, there’d been many theories between the members of Floor 19 over what, exactly, went on behind this particular door. Alex, being the more dirty-minded, figured that… _stuff_ went down between Hearth and Blitz, seeing as they spent a reasonable amount of time in there each week and refused access to anyone else. Sam, being the opposite of her sibling, figured that it was another of Blitzen’s infamous projects. Either way, Magnus was feeling a tight ball of nerves in his stomach at the prospect of finally going through The Door (™). 

Blitz, ever the tease, took a second too long to turn the handle. He let the door swing open naturally and flicked the lightswitch, beckoning Magnus in. 

The room had three desks, each covered in stacks of notebooks - some of them so old that the paper was yellowing and looked brittle to the touch, some open and unfinished, scrawling handwriting covering the pages. Quickly scanning a page of the one nearest to him, Magnus discovered that each of the books was dedicated to a particular Chase Space child and detailed their achievements, highlights and lowlights, right from day one. It seemed that Sam had been correct - this was Blitz's biggest project yet. 

Blitzen carefully sank into a desk chair and sighed. "It was Hearth's idea, yknow?" 

That was a surprise. Magnus had never known Hearthstone to be anything more than living (more or less) in the moment, always up and about doing something. It seemed strange that he'd sat willingly for what looked like hours on end, spending time on something that would only bear fruit years into the future. 

His surprise must've been evident because Blitzen chuckled. "Strange, I know, but it was. He never really had a record of his childhood - barely any photos, none of his schoolwork - besides his report cards to hammer in how much of a disappointment he was to them. He knew they couldn't give less of a shit. He never wanted another kid to feel the same way, if he could help it."

Magnus smiled sadly. “Gods, I loved him.” 

Blitzen’s eyes seemed to mist over. “You and me both, kid.” 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the feeling of loss wash over them. Before too long, Blitz seemed to shake it off and heaved himself up once again, leaning heavily on his cane. 

“Anyway, the reason I brought you up here was to ask you if you’d look after it, once I’m gone.”

Magnus eyed him suspiciously. “That won’t be anytime soon, though. You look pretty healthy to me.”

“I know, Magnus,” Blitz said. “Just a precaution. You never know what being a demigod could bring. I meant to ask years ago.” 

“Okay,” Magnus said, placated. “Yeah, of course. I’m sure I’ve got enough space at Valhalla and we can definitely make more if I don’t. It’ll all be safe there. Don’t the kids want them?”

“Each of them have a copy of their own.” 

“Alright, cool.” Magnus said, not-so-subtly checking the time on his phone. 

“You should be going.”

“Really? Already?” 

Blitzen shrugged. “Isn’t it movie night tonight? You and the Floor 19 folk?”

Magnus hesitated. “Well, yeah but-” 

Blitzen made a shooing motion. “Go. Have fun.”

“Blitz, I only see you every now and then. I can have movie night whenever. Besides, how do you know about that?”

Blitz winked. “Alex and I keep in contact. Go on. I heard they’re watching the new Star Wars, whatever number it is now.”

Magnus snorted. “Probably like fifty-something.” 

“Bloody Disney. Still. It’ll be a fun time with them around.” 

“I guess,” he said. 

“Really, Magnus. Go.” 

Magnus hesitated again, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly as he considered. “You sure?” 

“I’m sure.” 

“You’ll be okay?”

“I’ve been fine this long,” Blitz said. 

Magnus pulled Blitzen in for a hug, being careful not to squeeze too hard. Blitz hugged back, gently patting his back. 

“I’m really sorry I didn’t come sooner, Blitz,” Magnus murmured into Blitz’s shoulder. 

“I said it was okay, bud,” Blitz replied. “I’m glad you came, anyway.” 

The hug lingered for a few seconds before Magnus finally let go. 

“I’m gonna miss you,” Magnus choked out, his throat closing up. 

Blitzen smiled. “I’ll miss you too, kid. You’re welcome around anytime, you know that.” 

Magnus nodded. 

“You should get going. You’ll be late.” 

Magnus nodded again. “Thank you. For everything. You know, in case you’re gone before I can make it again.” 

“No problem. I should be thanking _you_.” 

Magnus frowned, so Blitz elaborated. 

“Without you, I don’t think I would have ever travelled to Midgard, much less stayed there. I wouldn’t know some of the closest friends I have. I might not have ever left Nidavellir. As hard as all the questing stuff was… I would take it again in a heartbeat.” 

Magnus smiled, a little sadly. “I would too.” 

“Hearth would, no doubting that,” Blitz said. 

“Of course,” Magnus said, grinning. He paused for a second and let the smile slide off his face. “I really should… go.” 

Blitz nodded and began to move towards the door, shuffling Magnus along. He got the hint and began back down the stairs, glancing over his shoulder every now and then to make sure Blitzen was handling the stairs okay.

As much as Magnus had been guiltily looking forward to it, not enjoying seeing his old friend so… old, the sight of the door to the outside world scared him a little bit, just like it had every other time he’d come to visit. Once he stepped outside, he might never come back. Or worse, the next time he saw it, it would be while he was shifting Blitz’s things out after his death. 

He realised he’d been staring at the door for probably longer than it was socially acceptable to stare at a door and blinked, breaking his existential trance. Blitz nudged his back gently with the top of his cane. 

Magnus opened the door and looked back, smiled and nodded goodbye the final time, before closing the door behind him and stepping into the fresh autumn air.


	2. Blitzen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part 2 as promised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so ngl here i was planning to write this later the next day as i published part one at roughly 1 am after a siren malfunctioning kept me awake but i went and wrote it all and then decided to publish before i woke up and regretted it

Blitzen waited until Magnus was out of sight from his window before he let himself collapse back into his armchair, letting a tired sigh escape his body. Keeping up the charade of good health was difficult on its own, let alone while he was around Magnus. The kid seemed to sense anything astray and it took all Blitz’s self-control to send him out the door, knowing that next time he came, there would only be a body, perhaps even less. 

It was exhausting, knowing your death was coming and not being able to do anything about it. 

Still, he kept on, ordering his groceries online the old fashioned way and waiting for them to come through each week, finding new and sometimes stupid ways to entertain himself in between the weekly carrier drones. He had no neighbours in town, many of the surrounding owners having either moved out or decided that Blitzen’s Best was cursed - which it kind of was. Sometimes Blitz could swear he could see a tall figure moving in the shop, but it always disappeared before he got a closer look. Most of the time, he blamed it on his poor eyesight. 

Sometimes, he saw the figure wave and knew Hearth was still looking out for him, even after all these years. 

It was lonely, he could admit that. Magnus’ visits, as far and few between as they were, became bright spots in his life. He could understand that with being essentially immortal, Magnus could blink and feel like years would pass by, but he also understood that the kid was afraid of seeing him - and for good reason, too. Sometimes Blitzen was too afraid of what he might see if he looked in the mirror. Maybe his face had become too wrinkled to recognise, or maybe his hair was now completely white, instead of the streaks that were there the last time he checked. In any case, after Magnus’ third visit and his obvious surprise at Blitz’s appearance, he stopped looking. It felt better that way - knowing he was aging, feeling himself aging, but not having to worry about it. What happened, happened. It was what it was. 

Shortly after Magnus’ eighth visit, his second-to-last, he felt things turn for the worse. It was harder for him to get up and down the stairs - he had to create a pulley system to get the groceries up and even then, that took all his energy. He had trouble remembering things that he’d never had trouble with before. His hands shook uncontrollably. His vision went, leaving him with poorer eyesight than ever before. 

It was difficult to hold on for another twenty years, difficult to convince himself that saying goodbye to Magnus would be worth all the pain. 

And it was. 

So as he sat in his armchair, watching Magnus Chase - the kid who he’d witnessed save the world on multiple occasions, the kid who had taught him everything he knew about this world and reminded him daily for years why he loved it, the kid he’d seen grow up before his very eyes - head back down the road towards Valhalla’s main portal entrance, he felt himself start to slip away. 

And that was okay. 

It was okay.


End file.
